About usNewsroom2013 Washington ranked 36th highest in state and local taxes relative to income
Washington ranked 36th highest in state and local taxes relative to income

OLYMPIA – Jan. 4, 2013 – Washington ranked 36th from the top in state and local taxes paid per $1,000 of personal income in 2010, according to Census Bureau data published by the Washington State Department of Revenue.

Washington ranked 42nd among the states in state and local taxes as a percentage of gross state product. Neighboring states Idaho ranked 6th and Oregon 39th. Gross state product is the value of goods and services produced in a state.

Washingtonians paid $96.08 in taxes for every $1,000 in income, the second lowest rate in 50 years. The lowest rate was recorded in 2009 at $93.24 and the third lowest rate was $98.43 paid in 1960, the earliest year for which reliable records are available.

Even though 2010 taxes were higher than in 2009, the state actually dropped one notch among the states from its 35th ranking in 2009 because taxes in some other states increased more. The national average was $106.54, up $4.44 from 2009.

Residents from 35 other states paid more in 2010, with New York ranking first at $204.12 per $1,000 personal income. Neighboring state Oregon ranked 35th at $96.88, while Idaho ranked 45th at $89.98. South Dakota was ranked 50th at $83.72.

The report also tracks taxes per capita. Washington ranked 21st at $4,016 in taxes per capita in 2010. The national average was $4,147. Taxes per capita tend to be higher in states with higher personal incomes.